


Ethereal, That's You. Adamant, That's Us.

by meganeasterix



Category: Free!
Genre: CUTEST THING, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Lots of pairings, M/M, but loved the drama cd though, just doing this to cheer myself up and to cheer the MakoHaru fandom, my first one in here hope you enjoy it!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2014-11-01
Packaged: 2018-02-18 06:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2338280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meganeasterix/pseuds/meganeasterix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Haruka wonders why. Haruka is frustrated. Haruka is confused.<br/>Makoto is hurt. Makoto wonders why. Makoto is confused.<br/>No, Haruka would not look at some random Australian pool and realise his dream. This is more realistic, this is real life. It's impossible for him to suddenly be inspired. He would not leave his friends. He swims for them. </p>
<p>He knows that it's going to be hard, it's going to cause him pain. <br/>He's not scared of making mistakes, but he is scared of being blinded by his "dream".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry bad summary!   
> i actually post this on tumblr but it's quite difficult for me to post anything because the page is rather slow so i am posting it here! With many revision from my original text because I have a lot of feels.  
> i hope you enjoy it!  
> Also because my house's internet blocks FF.net, so I might post non-free! anime fanfics here too.

_**Ethereal, That's You. Adamant, That's Us.** _

**Chapter One**

 

Haruka wonders why. Haruka is frustrated. Haruka is confused. 

 

Yelling at Rin made him realised one thing : nobody understands him like Makoto. 

He knows that Rin was just trying to support and was trying to help him find his goal and vision, He knows that he was probably too harsh to Rin. But he couldn't help it. That's just the way he is. 

Fighting with Makoto made Haruka realised one more thing : no fight he had could hurt him like the one he had with Makoto.

He was just crawled in his bed. Not even wanting to feel the water in the bath tub. No. It reminds him too much of Makoto. Haruka regretted saying those mean things to Makoto. He regretted. 

When Rin suddenly came over to take him to Australia he didn't even mind, because he needed space in his head. He wanted to wash away the guilt and pain caused by the fight he had with Makoto. He was so desperate he didn't even mind skipping school. 

In just a few hours of travelling with Rin, he misses Makoto even more. Rin never waited for him, Rin walked so fast without looking back. Gosh, Makoto would never do that. 

He didn't want to jump into the water when he was by the sea, he just didn't. it reminded him of Makoto. 

Haruka was thankful that Makoto was, is and always will be so understanding. Makoto noticed his invisible pain and confusion. Makoto did not push opinions into him, when he rewinds the fight, he noticed that Makoto never mentioned swimming, Makoto just wanted him to have a dream and be happy. Makoto waits and gives Haruka space to think and feel. Haruka appreciates Makoto's presence and Makoto, just Makoto. 

That is why he chose to hold on, that is why he was so broken when he heard that Makoto is moving to Tokyo. He doesn't mind if anyone else is moving, but Makoto, he was scared if Makoto would be gone. Some people says that him yelling to Rin more is because he is more comfortable with Rin, no that's not it. He fights with Rin because he could not understand Rin and Rin never seemed to want to tolerate with him. Haruka never fought with Makoto before was because they could understand each other. But at the end they fought, it was an emotional and almost spiritual fighting. It wasn't like the ones with Rin, he was upset for he thought that Makoto is leaving him. 

The more he stayed with Rin, the more he realised that Rin could only be his swimming friend. His friendly rival. 

But he was confused.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, does an of you notice that Makoto is indirectly the most ignored person in the anime? Especially season two. None of us get to know more about him.   
> What we can see is that day by day his smile is more forced. He sacrifices. He endures.   
> But ignored.   
> I'm sure that this situation relates to many of you readers including me.   
> I think Makoto is the most human character both in the light novel and in the anime. He suffers so much but because it's for the person, for the friends he loves. He choose to endure it. He endure it for so long until it's starting to break him.

**Chapter Two**

 

Makoto woke up in the morning feeling depressed. 

It was Saturday, there was no need to hurry to school. No need to watch over Ran and Ren for Makoto's parents seemed to notice that Makoto was under a lot of pressure and needed time with himself, so Makoto's parents decided to take the twins out for the whole day. No need for swim practices, Gou remarked that the boys should probably take a break (after she knows that Makoto had his first fight with Haruka from Nagisa). No homeworks, no tasks.

Makoto's schedule was free, His parents made extra sure that there wouldn't be anything to bother. For secretly, Nagisa also gave them an extra secret phone call that Makoto had his first fight with Haruka and that Haruka is currently is Australia with Rin. His parents wanted Makoto to relax and be freed from stress. They hugged Makoto before leaving early in the morning, and gave Makoto a LOT of money to spend for the day. Perfect decision from Makoto's parents. 

It's the truth, Makoto does need space and time for himself. He felt that Haruka was making a distance, further and further lately. Haruka was almost impossible to reach. Makoto knew that Haruka had a lot of pressure being pushed by so many people, that's why he didn't push anything to Haruka. He knew that Haruka was struggling. He knew that Haruka was in pain. That's why Makoto was so patient. But he was misunderstood. 

Makoto was locked out by Haruka, he couldn't do anything to help for Haruka was so locked up. The only reason he chose Tokyo was because he thought that he needed to be independent even if Haruka isn't there, he wanted to show Haruka that he is someone who can make decisions and he is capable of helping Haruka. Haruka made Makoto unable to help and even with that Makoto felt guilty and blamed himself for not being able to help. He blamed himself for being locked out by Haruka. That's just Makoto, an angel taking form in a human being.

Angel he is, Makoto felt pain when Haruka was being distant. He felt jealous seeing Rin and Haruka together, he ignored the pain when he had to ask Rin to notice about Haruka and Rin ended up taking Haruka to Australia. He felt tired being rejected after trying so hard all these times. He was helpless to it, he could only smile, kept on throwing away his pain and burying his feelings. 

Makoto was injured, badly injured. And he was scared if it would start to show. 

Makoto first wanted to call Haruka to ask if he could go there, then remembered that Haruka is in Australia. Nagisa and Rei? Nah, he doesn't want to ruin his juniors's weekend for he knew that he might end up spilling everything and would make the two very worried. Rin? In Australia, that thought pierced him a little, and gave him a bit pain, just a bit thinking that Rin is with Haruka. Kisumi? Makoto gave it a long thought, Kisumi will be a very good person to run to, he might even get the luxury of being the centre of Kisumi's attention but he also dismissed it. 

Makoto decided that maybe he should just have some time with himself and go out. He washed up and changed his clothes, and headed out after locking the door. 

The city was lively but not over crowded, giving you a pleasant feeling of also being alive. Not to mention that the weather was perfect, blue sky, clouds, soft breeze. Makoto saw families, kids, young couples, old couples and that cheered him up a little, he realised that he hadn't been observing the outer life lately. Being around that lively people triggered him to wanted to be lively too. 

Makoto wanted a place where he could relax and be by himself, that way, he might find a path to being lively. Many ideas came up to him: maybe go to a library, maybe sitting on a bench under a tree with his iPod, maybe the zoo, maybe the cinema for a movie. Anywhere, he just needed a place where he could feel his soul and be by his mind. 

After quite some time searching, and antique cafe became his shelter. The moment he stepped into the antique cafe, he knew that it was what he needed at the time. The smell off coffee beans and the sound of coffee being poured to the cups in the cafe, the warm sunshine creeping through the glass windows, the soft wind blowing in though every opening like a natural air conditioner. The comfy sofas and the pretty wooden tables, he needed it. Makoto looked around and found a spot beside the tall window opened from the bottom, the warm sunshine shining through a little made him felt relaxed. He sat on the sofa, even crossing his legs on it and leaned back, waiting for his order. 

Plugging in his earphones, Makoto was surprised by how many sad songs he had in his iPod and how he remembered most of the lyrics although he barely listen to them. He didn't really mind though, for he needed mellow songs, he needed it to wash clean his own miserable feelings through all the lyrics he could relate to. His iPod started playing Somebody to You by The Vamps featuring Demi Lovato when his orders arrived. It was rather his first English song played by his iPod after 15 minutes of waiting, but of course it didn't matter to Makoto. He's good in English, he has to trouble understanding it. 

Makoto couldn't relate to the song in the first few verse because it was very unlike Makoto to think about himself. Makoto gives too much of himself to help other people most of the time, but when around the reff part started playing. He froze. 

_Look at me now, I'm falling_

_Can't even talk, the stuttering_

Makoto's heart broke a little hearing those words.

_All I wanna be all I ever wanna be is somebody to you_

Then the words repeated, both in the song and on his mind, cutting through him. 

Makoto had always been so optimistic, he kept on believing and trying. Even though the result made his heart shatter a little every time and the pain increases when he try to stay optimistic. He tried over and over again, even though knowing that he would be hurt, he had new hope every time. Until the small scratches turn into wounds that doesn't dry up.

Until the shatteres can't be patched up anymore. 

The sky was blue. The coffee was rich. The sweetness from his blueberry croissant was lingering on his tongue. Birds were chirping. Sunshine crawling to people's smiles. The breeze felt nice. 

No tears, no sobs, only the sound of Makoto's shattering heart is present inside him. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before reading the chapter I'd like to explain that time was skipped, and Haruka did NOT suddenly realise that he loves Makoto or stuff like that, this is just the beginning of the new feelings he's gotten of being so forgiven and the bond reconnected and strengthened. Haruka will NOT suddenly turn all doki-doki and get together so soon. As much as I LOVE those fluff, I kinda want to write something with realistic struggles, then get into the fluff. 
> 
> And I'm sorry this took so long to update

**Chapter Three**

  
  


"Haru," Rin called out, glancing up from a book called Swimming : Learn to Improve, "We'll be back to Japan today."

"Yeah." Was Haruka's short reply. Rin didn't need to be an expert to know that Haruka was feeling nervous about facing Makoto, it was written all over Haruka's face. 

"You know that your face shows perfectly without missing any detail that you're nervous about meeting Makoto right?" Rin pointed out, then turning back to his book. 

Oh how Haru wished that Rin didn't point it out because, it really wasn't helping him to feel any better. And so he decided to stay quiet and tried to drift his attention to the people passing by, who were also waiting for the flight back to Iwatobi, if their destination was Iwatobi, that is. The waiting room was filled with the sound of people's chatters, it usually isn't what Haruka would do but he admits that the conversation between the two girls sitting across him had caught his attention. 

"Oh my God," One of the girl, who looked Japanese and was speaking Japanese gasped at her phone, brushing her long hair with her free right hand."Ayumi, check this out."

Her friend, Ayumi glanced towards the phone with mild interest at the beginning, but it upgraded into hysterical fangirling, "Oh my fucking God, Makoto's even hotter than the last time we saw him on the magazine. OMG I'm glad that his friends post his pictures on instagram but it would've been better if he made one personal instagram account. Oh my God, save that picture. He is absolutely PERFECT." 

'Makoto?' Haru thought, there, the name was a hook for him to keep on listening while pretending to be occupied with a book called How to Mackerel Perfect. 

"Nee Matoi," Ayumi continued, her eyes shining."I read from an article in the magazine telling that Makoto actually swims, and so many people are talking about how perfect his back muscles are. I'd really like to see that."

That sentence about back muscles made Haruka's suspicion grew, it sounds so much like Makoto, if only he could see the picture he would've been able to confirm. But then another thought strikes him. From the way the two girls described it they seemed to be talking about a magazine model, the question is, since when did Tachibana Makoto started modelling?

"I know right and it's so amazing that he looks so much like a more than perfect angel model in the pictures of the magazine and in this picture while he's just being so casual. And last time's photoshoot was his first time. I don't know man. I think Makoto is just so perfect my heart and eyes can't handle him." Matoi sighed. 

Haruka was still listening keenly but he was dying to know whether the Makoto they were talking about was his Makoto. His. Haruka blushed a bit but shook off the thought. He had to concentrate on the conversation. Haruka was praying so hard inside that one of them would mention Makoto's full name or where he lives when suddenly something better happened. 

Matoi, dropped her phone, amazingly, ridiculously, impossibly, slid to Haruka's side. Haruka immediately picked it up and initiated to return it to Matoi when he caught the picture of Makoto displaying on the phone. Haruka froze, forgotten to even return the phone, he stared at it.

Makoto in the picture, sitting on a bench, wearing dark coloured jeans, with both hands hanging casually between the thighs and a light green shirt, looked like a piece of heaven dropped from the sky. Makoto looked perfect, even without trying, Makoto looked flawless.

"Do you think he looks nice?" Matoi asked, hesitantly but with excitement filled in it, it took Haruka some time to process what Matoi had just said, directed to him.

Haruka wanted to answer with his usual monotone, with no hint of interest and even a touch of iciness. He wanted.

"H-he looks really handsome." Haruka blurted out, blushing and immediately wished that he could shrink into the tiniest object and just be eaten by a saba fish.

Matoi and Ayumi squealed though, as Haruka gave the phone back to Matoi, the two girls were smirking to each other. Haruka didn't know why, but he had this feeling of 'I-wish-I-didn't-say-it-but-I've-just-gotta-say-it' , he was confused and he found out that somehow heat has rose to his cheeks. He returned to his seat, trying to dismiss the thought and try to cool his burning cheeks down, but again, he found out that he hated the feeling but loved it at the same time.

 

“Dude,”Rin called, raising an eyebrow. “What's gotten into you?”

 

Haruka chose to not answer the question. He knew that if he did, he was going to get himself lost into one of those 'I hate it but I love it and I can't resist it' feelings. Haruka looked away, trying to ignore Rin's questioning glare and Matoi and Ayumi's cheeky grins at him.

 

:)

“Haru, welcome home.”

The dark hair boy had his eyes widened, looked away, blushed and turned his gaze back to the tall figure, with soft brown hair and tender green eyes.

“I'm home.”

:)

“OMG!!!” Rin laughed and pointed at Haruka.

 

“That is,” Rei lifted his specs, but not hiding the smirk. “Very cute of you two, Haruka-senpai.”

 

“YOU GUYS ARE SO MARRIED YOU SHALL HAVE MY BLESSINGS!” Nagisa screamed, sort of screamed, he did scream it out, but more in a fangirl way.

 

At that time, Haruka wish he didn't tell his three friends about how they made up. And this time, again, he couldn't seperate his hate of feeling embarrased and his love of feeling his heart-beat beating so furiously fast.

 

Nagisa, being the little devil he is, demanded a meeting between the four of them, to have Nanase Haruka explain every single detail about how the two made up. Nagisa bribed Rin, with, absolutely nothing actually for surprisingly even Rin wanted to hear the whole story. Rei was an easy task for Nagisa, Nagisa just had to be a little bit reckless, then Rei would agree to everything, but Nagisa knew deep inside that Rei also wanted to hear ore details.

The question is, how did Nagisa managed to get Haruka agree to this!? Knowing Haruka, he could've glared at all of them and ignore the question like it never happened, act a bit more stubborn until everyone gets tired of it, escape to Makoto's house and tell the three that's he's busy taking care of Ran and Ren.

 

“This is stupid, don't hook me up with this one, this is the end of this discussion.” Haruka said.

 

Or rather, what he  _ planned _ to say. 

 

Haruka ended up not saying any of the excuses, he did refuse in the beginning, but with Nagisa and Rin's constant smirking after he rejected it for around half a minute, Haruka gave in and agreed to it. He didn't know why, but he felt his heart beating so fast and a feeling of 'I'm gonna hate it but love it anyway' nagging his thought. He agreed.

 

They ended up having a sleepover in Rei's place, for Rei actually has a pretty big room for himself that could fit the four of them. And plus, both Rei's parents were overseas for a research, over a topic that Rei was not interested in. Saturday night, popcorns, movies, drinks, and mackerel, because it was one of the condition Haruka gave. However the movie ended up as the background music for Haruka's story, they hugged pillows, and smirks were given even before Haruka started speaking.

 

“ Makoto said, 'Haru, okaeri.'” Haruka started, he wasn't good with words and he really didn't know how to start it.

 

“Ha, believe me guys, Haru was like this love sick girl who haven't seen her bae for like ten years and with that guilt on his face while Makoto was like an angel, like mother Theresa or Teresa. Seriously the looks between the two of them are like. Omg, makes me cringe and makes me want to scream and laugh, seriously.” Rin cut in, smirking, laughing.

 

“I'm the one who's talking here.” Haruka blurted out, with a blush on his cheeks though.

 

Haruka attempted to speak again, but he didn't know where to start, he didn't how he should be explaining it to them. Haruka wished that he has the ability to convert thoughts into beautiful, fluent words spoken out of the mouth like Makoto. Haruka stared blankly into a blurred distance, now he was stucked, he was confused and he was tongue-tied.

 

“Haru-chan,” Nagisa pleaded, “Are you going to talk to us or not?”

 

Haruka took a deep breath, pictured what Makoto would say to him when he is tongue-tied. Well, Makoto does speaks for him most of the time, but in hard times when Haruka is pressured, Makoto could always find away to get him talk.

 

'It's okay Haru,' Makoto would say, eyes tender. 'Take your time, I'll be here, listening.'

 

Then Haruka would feel better, and would be calmed by Makoto's patience.

 

'Haru, look at me.' Makoto would say. 'You don't have to make the sentences perfect, don't rush it, don't panic, you know that I will not leave your side.'

 

Haruka's eyes brighten, the memories of those sentences started something in him. Haruka believed that he can do it, even though it wouldn't come out perfect, he trusted himself.

 

Because Makoto had given him the ability to trust even though the world crash upon him.

 

“I will.” Haruka's voice had determination.

 

With that, a sweet, sweet, sweet sentimental story of the two started.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I have mentioned in the beginning, their relationship won't come out that easy, I want to add all the struggles Makoto is having when loving Haruka, keeping his verbal confessions in, and limiting himself. Because Makoto knows it when Haruka is ready to hear him out or not, Makoto would give Haruka space and time to figure his true feelings out. 
> 
> Real couples have hard times to overcome together before it becomes gold. 
> 
> Also, I've had writer's block for a really long time, because I didn't want to make this part too slow but at the same time I don't want Haru to realise his feelings so sudden and decides to get together with Makoto; or Makoto glad to have Haruka back and decides to confess to Haruka. I don't really know why but, even though they are so married, I really think that the two of them are the type of people who would be serious in a relationship and would want to get their intentions clear first before getting together. If they get together, they would be the type of people who wants to be together because their love for one another, not only seeking their own runaway, but building a shelter for both sides. 
> 
> I've completed this chapter for 3 times officially, but I ended up deleting the first one completely, the second one by three fourth and this published chapter is the only one I was satisfied with. Might be a little short, I'll try to write longer next time! 
> 
> I also went finding inspirations in several makoharu fics. I HAVE THREE FAVES and I do love the writing style and the plot and all. But also found out that it wasn't exactly my style and I should go finding something that is more me to write. Okay sorry this might sound a bit weird loll. 
> 
> Thanks so much to everyone who left kudos for the previous chapters. It was a motivation for me to keep improving for you guys. :)


End file.
